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Re: [TowerTalk] PL-259 - can connectors be recycled?

To: Mike Fatchett W0MU <w0mu@w0mu.com>, "towertalk@contesting.com" <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] PL-259 - can connectors be recycled?
From: Steven Katz <stevek@jmr.com>
Date: Sun, 14 Jul 2024 20:30:07 +0000
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
My take on this is:   This is difficult to accomplish successfully IF the 
connectors were originally properly installed.

That’s because what holds the cable into the connector isn't solder:   
Soldering makes the electrical bonds; the mechanical bond is accomplished when 
the connector is tightly threaded onto the cable jacket, so unless you can 
unthread it (possibly by melting the cable jacket material until it flows), 
after removing all the solder, the cable will still be in the connector.

The old PL-259s were mostly Amphenol, using a dielectric material they called 
Rexolite, which some think is phenolic, but it's not -- it's better but is 
still a thermoset resin used for its excellent thermal and high frequency 
properties (it's good into the GHz range with extremely low dissipation factor 
and a dielectric constant very close to polyethylene) but will eventually burn, 
so some care must be taken with overheating the connector.

It's worth a try, of course, but if the original connectors were really well 
installed (tightly screwing them on prior to soldering) this may be more work 
than it's worth.   If some ham didn't install them properly, then it could be 
much easier.

-----Original Message-----
From: TowerTalk <towertalk-bounces@contesting.com> On Behalf Of Mike Fatchett 
W0MU
Sent: Sunday, July 14, 2024 2:52 PM
To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] PL-259 - can connectors be recycled?

They are probably a bit more expensive now.  What is your time worth?  I just 
buy new.

W0MU

On 7/14/2024 11:38 AM, David Shindler wrote:
> Colleagues,
>
> Thanks all for discussion and good advice on co-ax connectors.
>
> I have some old (at least 50 yrs) silver-plated PL-259 connectors that 
> presumably are good quality.
>
> The problem is that they are properly and solidly soldered to co-ax.
>
> Has anyone had success at desoldering PL-259 connectors and removing 
> the co-ax.? If so, any guidance on how to do this would be 
> appreciated.  (I do not have professional de-soldering tools - just 
> the basics.)
>
> David, VA3IIF
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk

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